Caitlin Jackson resigns as girls varsity lacrosse coach

Published 8:00 pm, Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hour Photo/John Nash - Caitlin Jackson has resigned after just one year as the head girls lacrosse coach at Wilton.

Hour Photo/John Nash - Caitlin Jackson has resigned after just one year as the head girls lacrosse coach at Wilton.

Caitlin Jackson resigns as girls varsity lacrosse coach

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WILTON -- In less than one year, Caitlin Jackson taught the players on the Wilton High girls lacrosse team quite a lot.

She taught them new skills. She taught them ways to dig deeper, both mentally and physically, than they ever had before. She taught them a new way to love the game.

This summer, Jackson taught the Warriors one more very important, but hard and hurtful lesson: Good things don't last forever. And, sometimes, they don't even last an entire year.

Jackson, the Northwestern product whose resume included four NCAA Division 1 championships as a player, submitted her resignation to Wilton High athletic director Christy Hayes on Tuesday, stunning the Wilton lacrosse community just two and a half months after the rookie head coach led her team to its second straight FCIAC championship.

"She felt bad and we're very disappointed, but she wants to work at the college level," said Hayes. "I didn't expect her to be a lifer, but I was hoping for a few more years out of her. I certainly don't regret hiring her. We're very thankful for the year she gave us."

The 24-year-old Jackson, who lives in Manhattan, cited both the commute to and from Wilton and her yearning to work at the college level as reasons for leaving.

She was recently hired as an assistant coach at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y.

The Warriors went 18-2 under Jackson in her only season, beating Darien for their second straight FCIAC championship. Wilton bowed out of the Class M state tournament in the quarterfinals following a loss to New Canaan.

Players were stunned, though understanding, about the news.

"I was a little bit upset, but I thought about it and it's good she got an opportunity like this to coach at college," said Liz Reda, one of the team's returning seniors. "We'll miss her and I definitely learned a lot from her. It's sad she left, but she just got a great opportunity which she should take."

Junior Casey Pearsall, who has been named one of the team's captains with seniors Piper Logan and Sammi Blicht, said she was shocked when she first heard the news, but felt fortunate to have played at least one year under Jackson's tutelage.

"It was kind of a shock, yeah," Pearsall said. "She was a great coach and we were fortunate enough to have her for at least a year. She's taking her career to the next level and that's something we can all respect. We all support her decision."

None of the players saw the news coming this summer.

Jackson has called players individually to give them the news.

"We didn't see it coming, but it's OK," Pearsall said. "She explained her career path and she has to do what she has to do. At least we had a great season last year."

Reda isn't worried about who will end up replacing Jackson.

The school, after all, has proven it will reach out to find the best candidate possible.

"The school will find a good coach, just like they found the past coaches," Reda said. "Whoever we get, we'll learn from and work with, and we'll come out and have another great season."

Wilton's 18-2 record was its second-best season, percentage-wise, in the program's 17-year history.

Only the 2004 season when Wilton went 21-1 with both the FCIAC and state championship was better.

"The kids loved her," said Hayes. "I'm sorry to see her go."

The Wilton AD said while the lacrosse season is still a ways off, he was hoping to hire a coach during the fall.

Jackson could not be reached for comment as of press time, despite repeated attempts and messages left to her cell phone.